2923 replies to this topic

[MortenF1]

They have an idea about what loads and G-forces the new cars will represent, so surely yes(?)

[Marklar]

Yet rain was forecast. Alternative scenario is that Lewis pits, then heavy rain falls when he’s in 5th. Or he pits and there’s a safety car? Or he pits and Max is slow? It’s a gamble.

You are picking now the least likely scenario though. Pitting before the rain arrives is just an disadvantage if it rains hard, thus forcing you to change to Inters, you can continue for long on slicks. This didnt even happen in Hockenheim and wasnt exactly likely to happen in Abu Dhabi either.

The fact is that out of all the likely scenarios to follow pitting under VSC was correct. The only suppostly likely scenario where it could have gone wrong is Mercedes tyre management preventing the tyres to last, but seems like they knew that this was no issue.

[robefc]

Yet rain was forecast. Alternative scenario is that Lewis pits, then heavy rain falls when he’s in 5th. Or he pits and there’s a safety car? Or he pits and Max is slow? It’s a gamble.

 

This is actually an interesting point in general, what are the delta times for SC versus VSC, the same? If so then theoretically if you pit under the VSC you just have to maintain the gap to ensure you wouldn't be jumped in the case of a further VSC or a SC (or in this case you have a couple of seconds spare due to having been ahead when pitting).

[CountDooku]

You are picking now the least likely scenario though. Pitting before the rain arrives is just an disadvantage if it rains hard, thus forcing you to change to Inters, you can continue for long on slicks. This didnt even happen in Hockenheim and wasnt exactly likely to happen in Abu Dhabi either.

The fact is that out of all the likely scenarios to follow pitting under VSC was correct. The only suppostly likely scenario where it could have gone wrong is Mercedes tyre management preventing the tyres to last, but seems like they knew that this was no issue.

 

Did you see the rain in Abu Dhabi yesterday? There were floods in the city! There was a large possibility it would have rained harder so pitting so early and outside the pit window was clearly a gamble. Rain close to the equator usually falls quickly and hard and RBR kept Daniel out for long for that very reason.

 

I don't have much faith in Mercedes and their tyre management views after they threw away another potential win in Austin. Bottas said he was struggling with tyres that were younger than Lewis'.

[CountDooku]

This is actually an interesting point in general, what are the delta times for SC versus VSC, the same? If so then theoretically if you pit under the VSC you just have to maintain the gap to ensure you wouldn't be jumped in the case of a further VSC or a SC (or in this case you have a couple of seconds spare due to having been ahead when pitting).

 

Not sure exactly. VSC vs racing lap is 40% slower, while any comparisons vs the safety car would be vs the safety care pace.

 

Lewis was doing 2:36 to 2:48 when he was behind the first safety car and Bottas was doing 2:08 to 2:15 under the VSC.

[robefc]

Not sure exactly. VSC vs racing lap is 40% slower, while any comparisons vs the safety car would be vs the safety care pace.

 

Lewis was doing 2:36 to 2:48 when he was behind the first safety car and Bottas was doing 2:08 to 2:15 under the VSC.

 

Usually you would only pit before you have caught the safety car because otherwise you would lose way more positions, no?

 

​In which case it would be the delta time when the SC comes out but before you catch it that would be relevant.

[EndlessMotion]

Just seen the news about Mercedes running W09 with sensors attached to the floor during the race yesterday. This has allowed them to run the two day tyre test at Abu Dhabi with the sensors still attached to gather extra aero data whilst all the other teams are missing out.

 

Brilliant thinking from the team

 

https://www.autospor...cedes-test-edge

[TheGoldenStoffel]

Just seen the news about Mercedes running W09 with sensors attached to the floor during the race yesterday. This has allowed them to run the two day tyre test at Abu Dhabi with the sensors still attached to gather extra aero data whilst all the other teams are missing out.

 

Brilliant thinking from the team

 

https://www.autospor...cedes-test-edge

 

To me it seems like an obvious thing to do actually, surprised there aren't more teams who did this.

[w1Y]

Surely the other teams know their aero etc enough the correlate the tyre test?

[Garndell]

Surely the other teams know their aero etc enough the correlate the tyre test?

 

The data they collected on this years tyres will allow them to see any shift with the 2019 tyres, it's always handy to have a fresh baseline which they probably got in the last race.

[Con1]

The most interesting thing from Sunday for me was Toto's interview with Sky. When they asked him about predictions that next year's cars could be 3 seconds a lap slower...and how much of the lost downforce they will manage to claw back...he said all of it should be the target.

 

But the thing that struck me was that wasn't serious, corporate Toto. This was happy, smiley, twinkle in the eye Toto. He came across as someone who was genuinely confident about next year 

[Paco]

The most interesting thing from Sunday for me was Toto's interview with Sky. When they asked him about predictions that next year's cars could be 3 seconds a lap slower...and how much of the lost downforce they will manage to claw back...he said all of it should be the target.

 

But the thing that struck me was that wasn't serious, corporate Toto. This was happy, smiley, twinkle in the eye Toto. He came across as someone who was genuinely confident about next year 

 

I think it was more because of a RB - Honda removing themselves from a real threat like RB was the 2nd half of the season.  Talk about a major headache removed  

 

As for the numbers on regains.. he can not know what Ferrari are capable of clawing back.. so yeah, he can be smug knowing that any retool means the bigger teams come out ahead easily due to the extra resource.  I for am a bit relucant about this.. yeah closer racing is better ... maybe... but this year we had 3 teams in contention for half a season.. been forever since we had that.. for me.. biggest issue was the tires resulting in conservative racing and the engine usage limits.  IF they gave teams 1 or 2 more PU and different tire... we could maybe have closer racing and better not dull stints waiting to see how things develop.  

 

I HATE turning down the engines and walking gingerly on the tires after lap 3 ... HATE HATE HATE IT..

Edited by Paco, 28 November 2018 - 00:37.

[GrumpyYoungMan]

I think it was more because of a RB - Honda removing themselves from a real threat like RB was the 2nd half of the season. Talk about a major headache removed

As for the numbers on regains.. he can not know what Ferrari are capable of clawing back.. so yeah, he can be smug knowing that any retool means the bigger teams come out ahead easily due to the extra resource. I for am a bit relucant about this.. yeah closer racing is better ... maybe... but this year we had 3 teams in contention for half a season.. been forever since we had that.. for me.. biggest issue was the tires resulting in conservative racing and the engine usage limits. IF they gave teams 1 or 2 more PU and different tire... we could maybe have closer racing and better not dull stints waiting to see how things develop.

I HATE turning down the engines and walking gingerly on the tires after lap 3 ... HATE HATE HATE IT..

I agree with most of that!

It’s still racing - it just depends on what type of racing you want - more endurance or speed? Or a bit of both? It’s all subjective really...

They have said all along that Mercedes will be least effected by new 2019 regulations due to there low rack design they don’t rely on the front wing sealing the sides of the diffuser?

[w1Y]

I thought they should be at the same performance as Australia last year and that was the target not to where they are now. I wouldnt read too much into it yet.

As I said before, im sure there is something in the high vs low rake but Merc are also the team who suffers the most behind cars which means that surely they rely most on the front wing to condition the air??? I dont know the answer to this though.

Edited by w1Y, 27 November 2018 - 07:51.

[GrumpyYoungMan]

I thought they should be at the same performance as Australia last year and that was the target not to where they are now. I wouldnt read too much into it yet.

As I said before, im sure there is something in the high vs low rake but Merc are also the team who suffers the most behind cars which means that surely they rely most on the front wing to condition the air??? I dont know the answer to this though.

 

Yeah, I don't have the answer to that either - but maybe as Mercedes use the diffuse LESS overall they will be least effect the front wing changes on that front only?

[ToniF1]

Mercedes didn't understand engine upgrade initially

 

"We brought an upgrade to the power unit in Spa that we didn't quite understand yet," Wolff told Motorsport.com.

 

"It was a work in progress in how to deploy the energy in the right way.

"Also in Spa we were a bit unfortunate because they [Ferrari] had much strong straightline speed, and we were not competitive in the single most important corner on the track [La Source], where you take all the speed for the straight. So we were unlucky there.

 

"Then, we kind of got things right. The calibration of the engine was more sound in Monza, the engineers understood the car a little bit better, we understood what happened in La Source, which we proved in Singapore.

"Somehow I believe that the learning in Spa and after Spa contributed a lot to our gain in performance. Plus, some development steps we took earlier in the spring also found their way onto the car."

 

Wolff believes Monza was also an important moment in hurting Ferrari psychologically, even though the points Vettel lost in his opening lap collision with Hamilton were not that great.

"I think Monza was maybe more a mental setback for them, but if Sebastian would have survived the contact on lap one he would either have won the race or finished second," Wolff said.

"I think we were pretty good there, and it would have been a pretty good fight. He finished fifth, so in terms of points it wasn't dramatic.

"But it was also about our momentum being good. They put it all into Monza, to make 2017 go away, and put a lot of effort into Monza 2018 and we won.

 

"Then we went to Singapore, a track where they were the absolutely favourites, and we were quicker.

"We took the momentum to Sochi and to Suzuka and that was it."

 

 

https://www.motorspo...-wolff/4314085/

[kernel]

Any rumblings about the W10. Everything coming out of Maranello indicates that the SF72 will be a world-beater once again...

[SonGoku]

Wolff said they had some issues with the new engine, but Costa says it's nothing major. We won't hear a lot about the new car as usual, so we have to read Italian's motorsport unbiased rumours about Ferrari.

[MasterOfCoin]

Any rumblings about the W10. Everything coming out of Maranello indicates that the SF72 will be a world-beater once again...

Why is it every time i see the words W10......it registers as V10, probably just wishful thinking..

[Shade]

Wolff said they had some issues with the new engine, but Costa says it's nothing major. We won't hear a lot about the new car as usual, so we have to read Italian's motorsport unbiased rumours about Ferrari.

Ferrari wins every offseason. Well, it's something ;)

[PitStop1]

Mercedes W10: same wheelbase W09, low rake, philosophy of nose of the W09, attention to the development of the external area of ​​the nose, much development on the Power Unit even if they believe they are not yet at the Ferrari level. And more. These guys are usually well informed.

 

https://www.f1analis...rcedes-w10.html

[GoldenColt]

As expected, it will be an evolution of last year's car.

[kernel]

Expected on the rake/wheelbase given regs, but a bit disappointing they won't implement the superior Ferrari sidepod solution.

 

Also, Merc's sidepods are massive versus Ferrari/RBR, so they definitely have a lot of work there - If I recall correctly Ferrari has a special partnership with a company specialised in cooling solutions - perhaps how they got the edge there?

 

Also, on the PU, there were reports of a 10hp gain from a new fuel/oil from Petronas, but nothing more. That's unlikely going to bridge the gap to the 2018 Ferrari PU, let alone the 2019 Ferrari PU! A bit disappointed there are no updates on whether Mercedes has implemented Ferrari's battery trickery...

Edited by kernel, 25 January 2019 - 12:29.

[w1Y]

Although you cant really expect much other than an evolution im intrigued how the new regs will impact performance.

Also im pretty sure Merc arent going to be too open about everything.